Patterns in Nature: Auroras

Aurora Borealis, Churchill, Canada

Photograph by Norbert Rosing

An aurora borealis glows brightly over Churchill, Canada. Auroras occur when charged particles outside the Earth's atmosphere collide with atoms in the upper atmosphere. The result: a glowing display of curtains, arcs, and bands in the sky. The phenomenon is called aurora borealis or northern lights in the Northern Hemisphere and aurora australis or southern lights in the Southern Hemisphere.

Canada Aurora

Photograph by Raymond Gehman

A long exposure shows star trails behind a red-and-green aurora in Canada's Northwest Territories. In the Northern Hemisphere, the phenomenon is called aurora borealis, or northern lights. In the Southern Hemisphere, it's called aurora australis, or southern lights.